Medical device handle

Abstract

A medical device handle may include an elongated handle housing, a rotatable collar disposed about the handle housing, a rotatable control knob disposed about the collar, and a slidable door disposed about the collar. The door may be rotatably locked to the collar to prevent relative rotation between the door and the collar.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A medical device handle, comprising:
 an elongated handle housing having a proximal end, a distal end, and a longitudinal axis extending from the proximal end to the distal end; 
 a rotatable collar disposed about the proximal end of the handle housing; 
 a control knob rotatably disposed about a proximal portion of the rotatable collar; and 
 a slidable door disposed about and engaged with a distal portion of the rotatable collar, the slidable door being longitudinally translatable between a proximal closed position and a distal open position; 
 wherein the slidable door is non-rotatable with respect to the rotatable collar; 
 wherein the slidable door is non-rotatable with respect to the handle housing in the proximal closed position and rotatable with respect to the handle housing in the distal open position. 
 
     
     
       2. The medical device handle of  claim 1 , wherein the handle housing includes at least one stop extending radially outward from an outer surface of the handle housing. 
     
     
       3. The medical device handle of  claim 2 , wherein the slidable door engages the at least one stop in the proximal closed position, thereby preventing rotation of the slidable door about the handle housing. 
     
     
       4. The medical device handle of  claim 3 , wherein at least one groove formed along an inner surface of the slidable door engages the at least one stop in the proximal closed position. 
     
     
       5. The medical device handle of  claim 1 , wherein the rotatable collar is non-rotatable with respect to the handle housing when the slidable door is in the proximal closed position. 
     
     
       6. The medical device handle of  claim 1 , wherein the slidable door includes a plurality of protrusions extending radially inward from an inner surface thereof. 
     
     
       7. The medical device handle of  claim 6 , wherein the plurality of protrusions engages a plurality of slots formed in an outer surface of the rotatable collar. 
     
     
       8. A medical device handle, comprising:
 an elongated handle housing having a proximal end, a distal end, and a longitudinal axis extending from the proximal end to the distal end; 
 a rotatable collar disposed about the proximal end of the handle housing, the rotatable collar being selectively rotatable about the handle housing; 
 a control knob rotatably disposed about a proximal portion of the rotatable collar; and 
 a slidable door disposed about and directly engaged with a distal portion of the rotatable collar; 
 wherein the slidable door is rotatable about the handle housing concurrently with the rotatable collar. 
 
     
     
       9. The medical device handle of  claim 8 , wherein the slidable door is longitudinally translatable between a proximal closed position and a distal open position. 
     
     
       10. The medical device handle of  claim 9 , wherein the slidable door is non-rotatable with respect to the handle housing in the proximal closed position and rotatable with respect to the handle housing in the distal open position. 
     
     
       11. The medical device handle of  claim 8 , wherein the slidable door includes a protrusion engaged with a slot formed in the rotatable collar. 
     
     
       12. The medical device handle of  claim 11 , wherein the slidable door includes a plurality of protrusions engaged with a plurality of slots formed in the rotatable collar. 
     
     
       13. The medical device handle of  claim 9 , wherein the handle housing includes at least one stop extending radially outward from an outer surface of the handle housing. 
     
     
       14. The medical device handle of  claim 13 , wherein the slidable door engages the at least one stop in the proximal closed position, thereby preventing rotation of the slidable door about the handle housing.